But that's always been true about SE. The processor in SE has always been the top of the line at the time it was introduced, exceeding the previous year's model

But that's always been true about SE. The processor in SE has always been the top of the line at the time it was introduced, exceeding the previous year's model. To alleviate the pressure on the mainstream model lines, they introduce it with a 6 months lag. This makes quite a bit of sense as the SE is supposed to last 3 years or so before it gets refreshed.